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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62540	The two witnesses: their prophecy, slaughter, resurection and ascention: or, An exposition of the eleventh chapter of the Revelation wherein is plainly proved that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, are the witnesses there spoken of, who have prophesied in sackcloth one thousand two hundred and sixty years compleat; that they are already slain, revived, and ascended. That the tenth part of the city is fallen by our late earthquake, wherein seven thousand names of men were slain. The second wo is past. This is the first part of the chapter, the second part follows. By Tho. Tillam, a weak labourer in the Lords Harvest.	Tillam, Thomas.	1651 (1651)	Wing T1168; ESTC R219308	67,928	180

after they have dealt with these blessed Witnesses as their Predecessors did with the Lord Jesus Mat. 26. with most bitter reproaches calling them a dead and dumb thing Jewel Def. Apol. p. 552. Act. Mon. p. 1133. a black Gospel inken Divinity dumb Judges c. they bring them to the stake and this was done by the Popes Inquisitors in Paris and in England where by Proclamation they were burned And yet these Monsters while they burn the Scriptures are more wicked in abusing them to warrant their detestable practice producing that blessed word Mat. 7. Give not holy things to dogs to justifie the with-holding the Scriptures from the common People Fourthly The exact time when these sacred Witnesses were overcome and killed was in the year of our Lord 1564. when after the Conventicle of Trent who as Judges in the Popes Assizes had blasphemed arrained and condemned this Word of truth Bulla Pii 4. 1564. Pope Pius the Fourth acted the part of the Executioner by his Antichristian Decree absolutely suppressing them and denouncing Excommunications against any that should dare to use them and now these blessed Witnesses having prophesied so many years in Sackcloth as their Lord and ours had been preaching dayes in the time of his flesh The power of Rome they are overcome and killed by the same power that killed him and are to lie unburied about so many years as our Lord lay in grave and some certain space of time after to ascend into Heaven in imitation of his Ascension as shall with the gracious Assistance of this Lord of life be shewed in its place By this time I hope it appears with some clearness 1. Apoc. 12.6 That the woman was no sooner delivered of the manchild Constantine but immediately through the violence of Arrian Persecution c. she flies into the wilderness in the time of Pope Sylvester Anno 308. 2. That at the same instant the sacred Witnesses began to Prophesie in Sackcloth and to feed the woman in her exile as being her only support succour and sustenance the whole course of her wilderness condition viz. 1260. years 3. That the holy City began even then to be trodden underfoot by the Romish Gentiles the mystery of Iniquity being now acting in the Chayr of Pestilence but so obscurely and secretly that it was hardly discernable at first 4. We have also seen a glimps of the excessive Pomp Pride Luxury and Cruelty of the man of sin all this dismall time of black obscurity 5. The nature of the War raised and prosecuted to the overcoming of the Witnesses as they were about to finish their testimony 6. How and when they were overcome and killed by those soul-murdering Butchers in the Slaughter-house of Trent and the bellowing Bull of Pope Pius the 4. Ann. 1564. And if we add hereunto the three years and half of their lieing dead in the streets of the great City which will be terminated in the year 1568. we shall fit from the time of Sylvester when they put on their sackcloth Anno 308. to this time of Pius when they put it off Ann. 1568 the Account exactly perfected viz. 1260 years of the womans exile and the Witnesses Prophesie in Sackcloth For it cannot be imagined I suppose that their Prophesie should cease in Sackcloth till they had ended their sufferings at their Resurrection The eighth Verse And their dead bodies shall lie in the streets of the great City which spiritually is called Sodome and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified That is the City of Rome by whose power our Lord also was crucified under Pilate the Roman Governor through the streets or Provinces of this spiritual Sodom and Egypt are the mangled A fit Character for that Scarlet Strumpet except it fall too short in regard of her more dreadfull abominations then either Sodoms filthiness or Egypts gross Idolatry or inhuman cruelty massacred bodies of these Witnesses hurried and tumbled in a dead letter which the people understand not The ninth Verse And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three dayes and an half and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves The kindreds and tongues assembled in the Conventicle of Trent having overcome and killed them Brightman saith that unless the Angel had named the Councel of Trent in express words he could not have spoken more plainly pag. 119. as hath been declared they now as assured they have taken their life and power away cast them out thus mangled in a dead Character to the people and Nations devoted to the Whore and all agree to keep them out of Graves that they may exult and rejoyce in the triumph of their victory over them Will you have a brief Character of this accursed Crew in their Slaughter-house of Trent where the Witnesses were slain Conc. Trid●nt pag. 840. The Councel of Trent was a meer painted Sepulchre with a beautiful outside of specious pretences Bp. 5 Churches pag. 849. nothing within but rottenness and putrefaction or as one of their own Bishops said the Councel seemed to consist not of Bishops but of disguised Masquers Images rather then men all striving to maintain the Popes inordinate and shameful domination here poyson was caroused in a golden Cup. Or to use the words of the French Queen Mother nothing but a fair appearance of Flowers without any fruit at all their proceedings being quite contrary to their expressions two thirds of the Bishops conspiring and subscribing to hinder Reformation c. In this filthy heap of mud and dirt whited over are these blessed Witnesses strangled and then not suffered to remain in this painted Sepulchre nor by the people to be finally buried they are exposed to the scorn derision and reproach of their enemies with their tongues cut out their breath stopt overcome and killed The tenth Verse And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoyce over them and make merry and shall send gifts one to another because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth If you have taken notice of the dealings of the Philistines with Samson you have a picture drawn to the life of these Antichristian miscreants in their abominable practices against the Scriptures in the Councel of Trent whereat they smile to this day in their triumph of their own wits as at a Master-stratagem let us compare them together Judg. 16.19 Delilah betrays him into the hands of the Philistines They cut off his seven locks wherein his great strength lay whereby he had done such high exploits They put out his eyes and brought him down to their Great City They bind him with fetters of Brass and he did grinde in the prison house The Philistines feast and rejoyce over Samson who had vexed and tormented them After a certain time Samsons locks did grow again and his strength returned to him And he overthrew the house of Dagon And

in this secret covert By all which it is evident that immediatly after the birth of the man-child Rev. 12.5.6 the woman fled into the Wilderness or secret corners with her heavenly Witnesses the sweet Scriptures of truth and this is that Inner Temple that was exactly measured and prepared by God for her Rev. 11.1 where she is fed nourished and supported by them through her saddest darkest Wilderness course of 1260 prophetical dayes which in Scripture language is so many years as is cleer by Ezeck 34.6 and other Scriptures In all which term of time the holy City lies troden underfoot by the Gentiles in the outward Court even those who were but yesterday as it were come out of trouble and misery themselves having been the objects of Heathens scorn and derision and subject to their rage malice cruelty having obtaind a little rest and the sweet gales of peace now breathing upon them they turn this grace into wantonness and cruelty smiting their fellow servants and lording it over their brethren even as others do to this day who think themselves the true Churches of Christ robbing them of all external comforts while they cleave to and dare not relinquish the Gospels simplicity and soo Rome lately a true Church of Christ is the first that preacheth and practiseth cruelty force violence and persecution And did Rome do so Taylor Libert pag. 26. and is Rome singular in these ungospel-like dealings have not Englands Watch-men learned the same lesson and pretty well con'd it by heart Look upon the late Prelats see what their practice was soon after the bloody Marian dayes Many living testimonies can yet bear witness against the monstrous cruelties of them and their Successors but they are gone out like the snuff of a tallow candle and no doubt but their name will soon perish though the stinke remain How happy had it been if Diotrephes had perished with them but alas our misery our brethren who suffered with us under the late Antichristian persecution of the Prelates have now laid and do already act upon as violent principles of Tyranny and cruelty as either of the former and had not the Lord wonderfully raised up a faithful Magistracy for the support of his Saints banishment had been their gentlest punishment Had it been an open Enemy that had done this Psa 55.13 I could have born it but it was thou a man mine equal my guide and mine acquaintance with whom I took sweet counsel and walked unto the house of God in company this cuts to the quick All these Pope Prelates Presbyters and some mounted a little higher while they were under the ferula accounted persecution unlawful but being out of the danger of a Pile and a Faggot themselves they quickly change their opinion and become as bloody persecutors as their Predecessors But to return to consider the exact time when the Witnesses began to prophesie in Sackcloth it is cleer I hope proved by full evidence from Scripture c. that no sooner did the Churches begin to take breath from Heathenish Persecution by the birth of the man-child Constantine but the Dragon cast out of his mouth such a horrible flood of Arrian cruelty Clav. Apoc. pag 47. that as one saith it did seem to equal that of the Heathens if not far exceed it while the poor Saints with a wonderful constant resolution sadly sigh forth this Swan-like Song Moulin Theoph. pag. 278. We are burned for reading the Scriptures while we burn the more in love to read them These blessed Witnesses the Scriptures were at first collected by the Emperial Edicts of the Royal man-child Constantine immediately upon his birth I mean his spiritual birth all along and though many other Writers came in under the names of the Apostles yet only those were received for Authentick of which evident proof was made to be truly theirs And these being compleated in one Volumn together were called the New Testament and joyned to the other Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets which were called the Old Testament So that now and not till now were the Two Testaments apparantly visible For what by reason of those ten bloody Persecutions their extream poverty their continual labouring for life c. the poor Christians had neither leisure nor liberty to collect the Scriptures into one Volumn they being also deprived of that benefit of Printing which we now enjoy withal considering the far distant places each from other to which the Gospels and Epistles were written it cannot well be imagined how the poor distressed Churches should accomplish so great a work as this of compiling this holy Book this was a design reserved and a work only fit for the royal man-child to accomplish So that at this instant the two Witnesses received the power promised to them Rev. 11.3 and no sooner did they receive this Authority but presently they began to prophesie in Sackcloth Anno Dom. 304. for now the Church of Rome that was lately so famous in their sufferings raised with the prosperous gales of the Emperors breath do sail with such a full clew of peace tranquillity honor wealth c. that being hereby lul'd fast asleep the grand Enemy who is ever waking and watching for such an opportunity now sows his cursed tares of Superstition Idolatry and Heresie amongst them Tulk. Rhem. Test p. 657. Dr. Homes new world pag. 14. but so secretly and cunningly as is declared that this Cockatrice did not suddenly appear to open view But presently these tares grew apace as ill weeds will do so that with ease and prosperity they soone degenerate into Error and all kinde of vanity and as vice encreaseth Hosea 4.7 Brightman Rev. apoc pag. 112. so the foster mother the false Church encreaseth and quickly grows very ample and spacious while the true Church lies hidden obscure in corners with her sorrowful Witnesses in sable Sackcloth so that the major part laying aside the simplicity of the Gospel betake themselves wholly to advance their outward state and the blessed Word of Truth that prohibites affectation of greatness lordliness and outward pomp is slighted and contemned by this Apostatized Chuch of Rome who being now full and compleat in their own conceits lacking nothing tread underfoot the holy City and by degrees mounting from poverty to all outward felicity and her Pastor from being an honest poor Minister riseth to the state of a Lordly Diocesan Prelate from thence to be Primate and Metropolitan of Italy and at length by fawning and flatteries he obtaineth the Kingdom even the Province and City denominating the Emperor 2 Thes 2.7 Dan. 11.12 and now this Let being taken out of the way that only obstructed the Revelation of Antichrist the Popish Authors little suspecting their lord god the Pope to be the man begin to wonder where this king of pride is what shall we say saith one to this that long since the Nations fell away

for any mischief drunkenness whoring swearing cursing blaspheming any thing And that which exceeds admiration this cursed Serpent hath so wonderfully led them away captive at his will that they beleeve these abominations are lawful and not sinful at all Nay amongst many of them the most bloody execrations and most desperate wickedness is counted the highest attainment And all this arising principally from their ignorance of this wonderful Mystery of Christs Personal Reign Now here the poor Saint wondring at the free distinguishing Love of God in leaving such through ignorance to wallow in all kind of filthiness and revealing this profound Mystery so sweetly and clearly to him Cryes out My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed nothing through thy strength shall shake my resolution then and not till then will I beleeve my Lord is come when I shall see the departed Saints raised the living changed thine ancient People called Antichrist and his Babel destroyed the whole Creation restored universal peace established the world combined Satan chained the Mount of Olives divided Jehosaphats Vale enlarged the holy City erected the Marriage Royal solemnized the Saints immortalized and gloriously enthroned the Nations all subdued then and not till then shall Gospel Ordinances be abolished or rather contracted into those Gospel-Exercises that shall abide to all eternity as love and praise and joy unconceivable till these glorious wonders be clearly manifested I shall keep close to the Mountains of Myrrh and the Hils of Frankincense where I have so often enjoyed the beloved of my soul from whose chaste embraces and heavenly continued delights I must not through the riches of his love I shall not be entised by the fond conceits of any deluded Notionist Though they tell me he 's here there Mat. 24. nowhere I stir not though thousands are deluded I flinch not Vers 23. though they say he is in the Desart I move not Vers 24. in the secret Chambers I believe it not Vers 26. I know the coming of my Lord will be more glorious then so Vers 27. which coming is now at hand and the precise time though no mortal creature doth know yet the Saints are so far acquainted with his minde and will revealed that they can tell he will come 1. When sinners are in their highest jollity Mat. 24.43 44. and will take them in the midst of their carnal security when they little think of it he will come and break the house upon them and destroy all their mirth for ever 2. He will come when wicked Ministers are laying Principles of Persecution Luk. 12.45 and contriving miseries to the poor Saints 3. Ephes 4.12 13. Z●ch 14.5 He will come when the number of his Elect are compleated he will bring all his Elect with him when he comes he cannot come while one Saint is unborn uncalled 4. He will come at midnight when most of the Virgins are asleep and the one half of those sleepy Virgins like false professors do either hide their Talents Mat. 25.5 6. or are unfruitful unholy in their conversation their vessels empty which will make themselves most miserable So that between the drowsiness and stupidity of the wise and the barrenness and hyprocrisie of the foolish Virgins Luk. 18.8 the Lord makes a great question whether or no he shall finde Faith on the Earth at his coming I do therefore in the name and fear of the Lord advise you my dear fellow members who shall share with me in that exceeding eternal weight of glory be diligent to employ and improve your Talents As every man hath received the gift 1 Pet. 4.10 even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God Wherefore gird up the loynes of your minde be sober and hope to the end 1 Pet. 1.13 Luk. 12.35 36. for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ 5. He will come when many of his servants are waiting watching for his coming diligently employed and busie in the work of their Lord Lord Luk. 12.37 why should not I be found so doing 6. And lastly Mat. 24.32 33 34. he will come in that same Generation wherein the fig-tree buddeth that is when all the signs are accomplished that are mentioned in his word Fifthly And these signs are either remote or immediate The first sort Are 1. the rise raign and decay of Antichrist Secondly The Churches exile and slaughter of the Witnesses Thirdly Wars Treachery Villany Cruelty Persecution c. Fourthly Idolatry Heresy Superstition and all kind of abomination Fifthly False Prophets that shall affirm he is come already that he hath reigned given up the Kingdom to his Father that he is here there not at all deny his Divinity c. These and many others are already accomplished The second sort of signs that do more immediately precede his coming Rev. 16.12 Dr. Browns Enquiry pag. 313. are 1. The drying of the great River Euphrates one of whose streams are already dryed up and how soon the rest may be is uncertain 2. The Sun darkned some think this will be a wonderful Ecclips or some more extraordinary obscurity Mat. 24.29 Joel 2.31 3.15 Which others conceive is meant of Turk and Pope the latter pretending to be the glorious light of the world whose false raves have by degrees been extinguishing these many years upon the blessed discovery of the pure heavenly light of the Gospel before which true light all his juglings have been detected as once Simons were by the preaching of Philip Acts 8.9 and at last shall be universally obscured all the glistering stars of this defiled heaven of Rome falling as untimely fruit when at the same time the other grand enemy of Jesus Christ who bears for his Crest the Moon that hath so greedily hunted and delighted in blood shall be overwhelmed and swallowed up in blood 3. The third sign immediately preceding this glorious personal appearance reign of our Lord is the secret sign displayed whether this be Elias or the Lord Jesus himself in the clouds Mat. 24.30 restoring all things to their primitive purity and perfection before he descend to the Earth Rom. 11.26 or what else it may be I shall not presume to determine as having no cleer Scripture-Light to direct me and I should be loth to deliver any thing but with good warrant from the Law and the Testimony especially in a point of such waight and concernment 4. The world shall be purified by fire all combustible matter must be burnt up 1 Cor 3.12 2 Pet. 3.6.7 Peter in allusion to the old world cals this a perishing that is all wood hay and stubble must perish in this fire while the gold silver and precious stones shall abide If we be not dear Christians found of this sort what shall we do how shall we stand when the Lord shall be

Judge all the Heathen round about None so blind as those that will not see 10. The glorious City from Gods Throne doth glide EXcept by clear Scripture it be disproved I must believe therefore affirm Rev. 21.2 Ioh. 14.1 2 that the City described by Saint John is a material City that the Carpenters Son hath been these 1600 years preparing it for his Saints and that the cleaving of the Mount of Olives producing that wonderful spacious plain already proved is to receive this glorious City of twelve thousand furlongs Rev. 21.16 or one thousand five hundred miles compass wherein his Saints shall raign in glory with this Jehovah our Righteousness as long as the Sun and Moon indureth If it be said by a mistake of Rev. 21.9 10. That the holy City is call'd the Bride I must answer plainly it is not so but on the contrary if the 9. and 10. Verses be compared with the 24. we shall find them manifestly distinguished and it appears plainly that the design of the Spirit is to shew the Apostle the City where the Bride dwelleth Psal 45.14 Isa 65 18. Ezech. 14.11 and if we shall further consult these Scriptures it will be yet more clear that the City is one thing and the Bride the Saints the glorious Inhabitants in that City another thing But if it should be granted that the City is call'd the Bride there would be little gained by it as to the opposite of this Point because it is ordinary in the Scriptures to term the Inhabitants of the City the City it self as Matt. 11.20 21 22 23. sure it will not be affirmed that the buildings of Capernaum c. are threatned to be thrown into Hell Let the Prophet Ezechiel decide this Controversie from the mouth of the Lord Ezech. 37.27 saying My Tabernacle also shall be with them yea and I will be their God and they shall be my people this is that royal Palace into which the Bride with her Virgins shall enter to solace themselves with our King in unconceivable spiritual delights for ever 11. The Nuptial ditty Vshers in the Bride THe Ancient people of the Lord the natural seed of faithful Abraham after their tedious time of divorcement Isai 62 2 3 4 5. Hos 2.19 20. shall not only be espoused as formerly but now in view of all the world marryed with transcendent joy in highest Glory to the King of glory This is the Royal Bride the Gentiles Saints or Churches are the Virgins her Companions All the Angels in Heaven joyn in Consort to celebrate the Nuptials in that triumphant ditty Alleluja Rev. 19.6 7. for the Lord God omnipotent reighneth Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready so shall she be brought unto the King in raiment of needle-work Psal 45.14 15. the Virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee with gladness and rejoycing shall they be brought they shall enter into the Kings Palace There is a great question but of no great importance whether the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in before Israels conversion for my own part I am satisfied in this that in respect of a full conversion the work among the Gentiles shall precede but after the Jews effectual Call so glorious will that dispensation be Isai 60 3. That the Gentiles shall come to their light and Kings to the brightness of their rising Yet when all is known and understood which the word discovers of this wonderful Mystery what a small spark is it to the exceeding unconceivable glory of that day of wonders and who would hazard his interest in the glory thereof for all the bewitching painted seeming glories of this luxurious Age 12. Thus Saints regaining an immortal state HOw miserably are they handled by men of corrupt minds that stand for the honour of Christs Kingdom as though it were carnal delights and earthly pleasures they lookt after if any such there be they will see their vanity and folly perhaps when 't is too late The Saints are of another stamp and are hereby chiefly discerned from hypocrites by seeking holiness rather then happiness it is the pure spiritual immortal glorious state of Christs Kingdom that they believe and profess and expect and that which makes their spirits dance and their souls to leap for joy is the consideration of being fashioned like his glorious body when being free from corruption Phil. 3.21 they shall never sin against God any more not any kinde of pleasure can stand in competition in their pure affections with desire of freedom from sin their King hath taught them and they have learned to know Luk. 20.35 That they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage neither can they die any more for they are equal unto the Angels This is that blessed state of immortality that Saints believe Phil. 3.11 1 Cor. 15.54 and with the blessed Apostle press hard after When this corruption shall put on incorruption and this mortal shall put on immortality and death shall be swallowed up of victory Rom. 8.23 This adoption is that redemption of our bodies that now we wait for Luk. 22.30 Isai 62.9 and shall then enjoy when we shall eat and drink at Christs table in this glorious Kingdom There will be eating and drinking but not as now for in this state of mortality other creatures lose their lives to support ours for so is the word * Acts 10.13 Isai 65.21 in the state of immortality the fruit of the Vine the food appointed Adam in Paradise And only the state of Eternity is supported by God himself 13. In glory reigning while the Sun bears date THe Lord Jesus Christ is not now in his own proper and peculiar Throne Rev. 3.21 his present station is at the right hand of the Majesty on High even in his Fathers Throne but the glorious Throne that he hath purchased with his precious bloud he will shortly erect upon this Earth for himself and his beloved Saints then shall he have and enjoy the actual return of that request of his Joh. 17.24 That where I am they may be also and this the Saints in Heaven are wondrously affected with and do therefore exceedingly rejoyce in the consideration of this glory which they with their fellow brethren shall enjoy as an addition to their present glory with Christ in his Throne upon the Earth Rev. 5.9 10. for then and not till then will the glory of our King be compleat when the great voyces of all the heavenly Host shall be heard in the words of the Scripture I am now opening the Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall Reign for ever and ever Rev. 11.15 And